Are Your Kids Safe Online?

The internet has become an essential staple of everyday life, it could rank equal to water, food, and shelter in terms of necessities. Electronic devices are used for work, to run the house, and for personal use. However, we are also aware of the dangers of the internet, and we must ensure that we also teach our children how to be safe online.

You may have already spoken to them about basic online safety, set rules for allocated browsing time, and made clear which websites are not suitable for them, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be guided towards something they shouldn’t see. They also play online games with people they have never met and may be tempted to share personal information.

Whether you’re worried about predators, cyberbullies, or are concerned that they may spend money on an in-app purchase without your permission, here are some apps that can help you keep them safe.

Shadow SPY

If you’re worried about the websites they’re visiting on their devices, or you suspect that they’re not being entirely truthful about their Friday night plans, Shadow SPY lets you discreetly monitor cell phone activity, including their WhatsApp, Facebook, and text messages.

MobSafety Ranger Browser

If you’d like to limit the amount of time they spend online without physically pulling them away from the computer, MobSafety Ranger Browser is the answer you’ve been looking for. In addition to letting you dictate which sites you children are and aren’t allowed to browse, MobSafety Ranger Browser lets you limit internet access to times you want to allow it. Leave them enough time in the afternoon to complete their homework before you add their access for social media.

Minormonitor

If you’re specifically worried about your child’s safety on social media, Minormonitor is an app that helps you safeguard from the inherent dangers of Facebook and Twitter. This app will let you know when your child adds a new friend with few or no mutual friends. It also keeps track of your children’s activities, such as shared photos, status updates, and private messages.

YouTube Kids App

You may not have thought of YouTube as anything more than a site for music and funny cat videos. But it’s also full of inappropriate content for younger viewers. YouTube has recently released the YouTube Kids app for Android, iPad, and iPhone. The interface is simpler and the algorithms use a filter to search for results that are more suitable for children. This will let you keep your kids safe on mobile devices, while parental controls on your laptop should take care of the rest.

Control what you share

While you’re teaching your children about online safety, do your part to keep them safe. A recent study conducted by Nominet revealed that, on average, parents share nearly 1500 pictures of their child by their fifth birthday. Furthermore, 85% of parents hadn’t checked their privacy settings in over a year, while only 10% were even confident of knowing how to do so.